"Dog Friendly"

SaddlePsych'D

SaddlePsych'D

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I was thinking about this in the 'irresponsible owners' thread but it probably doesn't come under that. Just noticed so many places are now "dog friendly" and on a local FB page people asking about whether x y or is dog friendly, including Christmas markets which I imagine will be a sea of legs for a dog to navigate. I'm sure you are allowed to take dogs to lots of places but it doesn't make them 'dog friendly'. What even is that? Is it a good thing?

Sometimes I wish I could pop in our corner shop on the way back from a dog walk to grab something as I would never leave Ivy alone outside the shop; just me being lazy not wanting to make two trips! Sometimes we pop into a local cafe but it depends how busy and if we can get a space Ivy will be out of the way (long, noodly greyhound!) otherwise it's just a faff for us and not that fun for her.
 
The fact that dogs are allowed somewhere doesn't mean that you have to take your dog there if you don't think it's suitable. We love to take our dogs into cafes/coffee shops but we choose carefully where we go and only take them to places where we can sit at a corner table and sit the dogs out of the way.
 
I think there are ‘dog friendly’ venues but also ‘venue friendly dogs’! Our whippet is very easy going and quiet and we often take her to local ‘dog friendly’ pubs. Generally we only take her inside if we are going for a drink rather than a meal, but in the summer months we will take her for a meal outside as well. However she is extremely well behaved and there are a lot of dogs that don’t cope with this sort of thing and are a PITA to owners and other customers alike!
 
TGM said:
I think there are ‘dog friendly’ venues but also ‘venue friendly dogs’! Our whippet is very easy going and quiet and we often take her to local ‘dog friendly’ pubs. Generally we only take her inside if we are going for a drink rather than a meal, but in the summer months we will take her for a meal outside as well. However she is extremely well behaved and there are a lot of dogs that don’t cope with this sort of thing and are a PITA to owners and other customers alike!
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Dogs have to be trained to go places, just like they have to be trained to do anything else. I do think the younger you can start them off, the better but you can train older dogs by choosing your venues carefully and building 'difficulty' in small steps.
 
It's not a dealbreaker for me. I spend so much time with them that it's nice to sit down somewhere and relax with a coffee or a glass of wine on my own ?
To be honest mine can be a bit overbearing so it would just be a stress session anyway.
I've had the youngest at outside cafes and it's pretty annoying when she's minding her own business and a small fluffy thing gobs off at her, although she spends most of her time trying to climb on my knee.
I've not had any bad experiences with very unruly dogs but I've been in cafes where a dog has barked incessantly and it's really jarring.

With the eldest when I walked through the town at night, I used to stick my head in the door of the corner shop and ask for a Dairy Milk or shout into Domino's and order a pizza and they'd bring the card machine out to me and I'd tap it ?
This is us waiting for pizza the night before a big competition in 2017. Screenshot_20221116-220045_WhatsApp.jpg
 
I miss having a proper standalone country Post Office as ours used to allow dogs, which meant I could drop off a parcel on the way to a walk rather than having to make a separate trip. There's also a really good pie shop on the halfway point of one of our 'big' walks who will let me order a pasty and a coffee from the door, which nicely breaks up a long walk and makes me more inclined to do it. I value that kind of dog friendly, not so much the sit-down cafes and such where the point is only to go there and nothing else. It'd be filled with other people's 'friendly' dogs too, ugh. ?

Small dog arrived at about this time of year and went to Christmas markets safely zipped into the front of my coat but I wouldn't take him now, nothing to be gained but stress and squishing.
 
We went to a ‘dog friendly’ pub on holiday. It should have been advertised as ‘dogs allowed’ because there was nothing friendly about it. In contrast we went to a pub in the New Forest which had a pile of dog beds for anyone to use and numerous water bowls around.

I have two dogs. One loves people and really enjoys anywhere that’s busy and has been on boats, trains, buses, hotels and pubs. When she was a puppy she went to the local shopping centre every week, with FIL who’s dog she was then. She didn’t ever get a dog walk, just a walk to wherever they were going. The other dog doesn’t enjoy anywhere she doesn’t know that isn’t countryside, so we don’t take her.
 
I love the fact that businesses are now welcoming dogs. It's now easy to book dog friendly holiday cottages and find dog friendly restaurants and cafes. We've just spent a very rainy few days in Wales. The dogs were welcomed everywhere we went, including a very upmarket restaurant. It would have been miserable if we'd been excluded from eating or visiting places.

Locally we have a lovely little independent shopping village. It's dog heaven. Dogs are welcome in every shop. One of the cafes serves dog ice cream and there's a dog wash booth. It's a lovely atmosphere there, as everyone admires other peoples dogs and stops to chat.
 
I have a friend who is a mobile caterer and I often help her out. It is amazing how many dogs you see at events that really do not look happy - weather too hot / cold / rainy, lots of noise, so many people and not enough space etc. I take Bunny to our local pub but wouldn't take her to most of the events that we do, I am sure that some dogs are ok with it but I think that she would just find it overwhelming and would rather be at home.
 
I took my puppy to two of the local pubs and the local tea shop when she was in the being carried around before her injections stage as part of her education. I would take her to the tea shop again as they have benches outside but would probably only go at a quiet time. Generally if I go to the pub for lunch I want to be able to relax and enjoy my lunch without having to police my dog (certainly now while she’s at the bouncy monster stage, that may change if she gets more civilised when she’s older). I do like dog friendly places on holidays though. We used to take our old dog on holiday as we found some really good dog friendly cottages (also found some that say they are but actually it’s more that they tolerated dogs but with a ridiculous set of rules) and it is nice, on a long walk, to be able to take your dog into a cafe to buy a coffee and some cake. We never sat in, partly as he wasn’t the most social and partly as there’s invariably a “friendly” dog on a flexi lead…. As long as it’s not raining, there’s nothing better than sitting looking out at the sea with hot coffee and a slice of cake.
 
I'm currently doing lots of socialisation with my GSD pup, and am doing a lot of walking round towns etc with a friend with her GSD. We will stop and sit outside cafes but have learned that dog friendly seems to mean they will be full of badly behaved dogs whose owners have no control of them !

A friend was telling me about their experience in a dog friendly pup recently. She had a young Leonberger with her, and there was a family with a poo cross of some sort. This dog was off lead and was allowed to wander all over the pub with no attempt to control it, with everyone going "oh how sweet". As she said, imagine if that had been her Leo.
 
On long dostance walks the places to eat have to be dog friendly as I tend to wild camp so I need to eat, my dogs have always just laid down and gone to sleep, other dogs misbehaving have never really bothered them, if other people's dogs approach I stop them and say something, easier indoors than out, I have to have my dogs backs when out and about.
We did have 2 French bulldogs go for maz in a hotel garden last weekend, the guy said he didn't realise anyone was around, um duh! It's a hotel....the fact their faces we so flat they couldn't actually get hold of the big thighs maz has was a bonus in that moment, they had no collars on and the guy couldn't catch them. Madness, maz was on the lead and not with me but she was very good whilst my other half dealt with it, Cap would have be very impolite if it had happened to him.
 
I just assume I can take my dog in wherever I want tbh (obviously shops aside). And we’ve done so since she was a puppy. She (and Jack when he was alive) simply lie down when we sit down.

I wouldn’t take her to a market, horse trials etc where there are lots of people (she’s small and would hate it). But where I go, she goes.
 
There are too many spoilt badly behaved yappy snappy mutts in most 'dog friendly' places I've come across. Well trained and behaved dogs are no problem, but there aren't many of those.

My last 3 visits to dog friendly cafés were ruined by constant yapping, dogs jumping up at our table to try and rob the food etc.

I now prefer cafés, pubs etc where dogs aren't welcomed.

We do take the dog with us on day walks etc, but prefer the outdoors anyway with our own picnic.
 
Dog friendly holiday accommodation options are great. We haven't done a holiday with Ivy yet but I get the Canine Cottages email and the places look nice. Also love pubs/cafes on walks for a pit stop. Especially ones who stock dog treats as it helps a lot with our shy greyhound!

I do think sometimes it should be "polite/well-behaved dogs allowed" rather than "dog friendly" and if venues are going to have dogs in they need to be prepared to manage some situations, otherwise it's not really fair for people whose dogs are behaving or non-doggy people who also deserve to enjoy the spaces.

One of our local pubs is chaos on the weekend evenings; its dog and child friendly. Some of the dogs go off at absolutely everyone who walks through the door, jump up on you when you wait at the bar, and the kids run around feral (I say this as someone generally pretty easy going about children, certainly not anti-children). The other local doesn't allow children and loves dogs; it's bigger too so there's always a quieter nook we can take Ivy to be out of the way. Horses for courses I guess!
 
I dream of being able to have a cup of coffee outside a cafe with Fodhla in the summer without being like that scene in Marley and me, you know the one where he takes off and drags the table with him. I'm jealous of where some of you are able to take your dogs but I agree I wouldn't take her anywhere hectic, she has no chill.
 
Don’t think Bear had ever been in a pub til last summer. He wasn’t ecstatic to see the river but not be allowed in, but indoors, he was an angel, under the table, accepting chips gracefully.We’ve taken him and the youngsters to a beer garden a few times, but tbh, I’d rather just come home. I don’t go to cafes.
 
We only take ours outside as a rule. I know it is my own fault but they don't settle well indoors in pubs and cafes - they shuffle around, sniff everything, get tangled up with the chair, me, OH, each other. They are sociable and think people will want to pay them attention. I spend my time keep saying sit or down constantly and it is no fun for me or them.
Outdoors they are much more settled but I don't know why. Ours are not left much so it is nice to have a drink or meal just the two of us!

A very good friend is wary of dogs but is used to mine. The first time we went to stay with her she had prepared for our dogs to come and stay too! She was quietly pleased when we arrived without them. I adore my dogs but a weekend without them is fine too. I'm lucky I dog swap with my children so there is usually someone to have them overnight and we frequently have extra dogs too. However if I am visiting I don't inflict my dogs on other people unless I am 100% sure they are quite happy for me to do that. Dogs are often happier at home for a few hours if needed or staying with trusted friends/relatives for a few days.
 
A lot of the holiday accommodation around here is specifically advertised as dog friendly. However it does mean that many visitors assume this means dogs can run anywhere off lead, in what is densely stocked sheep and cattle country, with busy roads and fast cars. Sheep and lambs are often worried. I had to ask someone to take his dog (on lead) out of the shop earlier this week, even though we have a dogs welcome sign in the window. It was a big solid athletic dog, launching aggressively at other dogs and people whilst barking, maybe 4 feet 6 ins high on it's back legs, and owner could barely keep hold of lead.Thing was, owner looked surprised when asked to take it out! Other shoppers looked relieved.
 
limestonelil said:
A lot of the holiday accommodation around here is specifically advertised as dog friendly. However it does mean that many visitors assume this means dogs can run anywhere off lead, in what is densely stocked sheep and cattle country, with busy roads and fast cars. Sheep and lambs are often worried. I had to ask someone to take his dog (on lead) out of the shop earlier this week, even though we have a dogs welcome sign in the window. It was a big solid athletic dog, launching aggressively at other dogs and people whilst barking, maybe 4 feet 6 ins high on it's back legs, and owner could barely keep hold of lead.Thing was, owner looked surprised when asked to take it out! Other shoppers looked relieved.
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I have a friend with a huge GSD who behaves like that. She wonders why people don't visit her house and don't want her dog around even though they have their own dogs. She really cannot see it. She was asked to take her dog away in a dog friendly outdoor pub area - she was very put out.
 
I like the fact so many places are dog friendly now but as others have said it can be a nightmare! I have 3 dogs, one was a "lockdown " dog - Not intentional just the way things happened and he doesn't cope with crowds of people so I won't take him in pubs/cafes but will sit outside with him. Our 5 month old however is being pub proofed so he doesn't end up like middle dog, he chills out and goes to sleep = older boy doesn't care either way and goes with the flow.

I like dogs to settle under the table but some people just don't get the fact that their dogs need to be under comtrol and preferably not on a flexi lead creating trip hazards...

loving the dog friendly cottages but agree people seem to think their dogs can roam anywhere, we don't let ours off on holiday as we don't know the area, we book local secure fields for a daily blast though!

And as much as I love my dogs a holiday without them is VERY relaxing!!
 
All our dogs have come to pubs, restaurants and cafes with us, they are taught to sit under the table and they all have been very well behaved including our current manic, energy overloaded sprocker. Saying that I will never understand why people want to take their dogs to overcrowded places where they have to stay on their leads and negotiate their way through lots of legs such as Badminton Horse Trials. All my dogs would hate it and would far prefer to spend the day with doting 'grandparents'.
 
ArklePig said:
I dream of being able to have a cup of coffee outside a cafe with Fodhla in the summer without being like that scene in Marley and me, you know the one where he takes off and drags the table with him. I'm jealous of where some of you are able to take your dogs but I agree I wouldn't take her anywhere hectic, she has no chill.
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This reminded me of my sister while walking our niece's GS. Stopped outside a local icecream shop and she put his lead through the leg of her chair, in all fairness he was usually very well behaved but on this particular day something caught his eye, he took off tipping her chair up with her still in it. His lead remained caught caught on the leg so he just run in circles spinning the chair and my sister round and round. Everyone was laughing and my poor sister just couldn't do anything. We did stop him and she got up to the applause of all sitting outside enjoying their ice cream. She has never put a dogs lead on the leg of her chair since not even her daughter's dachshund lead. lol
 
I enjoy taking a well behaved, quiet dog to a pub/cafe occasionally but only if the dog remains neutral and isn’t stressed by the experience. I wouldn’t take my current two GSDs (or any of the collies!), as they haven’t had much training in those situations as some of my previous dogs due to Covid among other things. I do make the effort to do it weekly with young pups as it’s a great training/socialising opportunity.
I do recall one occasion when one of my previous GSDs was relaxing under a pub table on holiday in the Highlands. A group of climbers came in, looking the worse for wear, and they proceeded to peer under the table at my dog (who was snoozing happily after a hill walk and a steak dinner) and started pointing at him and making stupid noises. I was just glad he was totally unbothered by them.
 
Back in late August we went for a meal out for my sister's 70th. Very nice local canal side pub that is very dog friendly. BIL was supposed to book an outside table but when we got there it turned out we were inside. Too hot to leave the dogs in the car so all three came in with us, my two collies and my sister's lurcher. The place was packed so our dogs just tucked under the table and kept out of the way. Very proud of them.
 
limestonelil said:
A lot of the holiday accommodation around here is specifically advertised as dog friendly. However it does mean that many visitors assume this means dogs can run anywhere off lead, in what is densely stocked sheep and cattle country, with busy roads and fast cars. Sheep and lambs are often worried. I had to ask someone to take his dog (on lead) out of the shop earlier this week, even though we have a dogs welcome sign in the window. It was a big solid athletic dog, launching aggressively at other dogs and people whilst barking, maybe 4 feet 6 ins high on it's back legs, and owner could barely keep hold of lead.Thing was, owner looked surprised when asked to take it out! Other shoppers looked relieved.
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Was it OH's parents, by any chance? LOL. They have a big black lab-dalmation cross they take everywhere, but his training and socialization have been....average. He's a pain in the a*rse when you bring him to a 'dog friendly' pub. So long as there are no other dogs nearby, he quietly lies under the table, but if anyone walks past him with a dog, he lunges and barks.
 
Some places are definitely more accommodating than others, it’s easier with a small dog though if you need to get them out the way! I had our little dog in a sling all round Wells cathedral (dogs are allowed on leads) as she gets tired from her back injury and also is easy to step on, and most people had to look twice before they even noticed her head sticking out of the sling! We take her out and about, but try to sit quietly on a corner out the way. I wouldn’t take her to busy days out eg horse trials, or places full of off lead dogs.
 
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